# Do some pipes just smoke hot and wet?



## AnthonySzum (Nov 26, 2010)

I have a savinelli oscar bent billard I bought over a year ago. It is my aromatic pipe. It always smokes wet and I realized after examining the bowl, the bottom of the bowl was lower than the draft hole. After careful mudding (and what a fine job for my first time I might add), the damn pipe still smoke HOT and wet. It gurgles like crazy and burns my hands. I have done everything from smoking slow to drying out the baccy to a crisp. Nothing helps. 
Do some pipes just always do this no matter what? Is there a way to correct this after everything I have tried?

Thanks,
-Anthony


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## ChronoB (Nov 4, 2007)

AnthonySzum said:


> I have a savinelli oscar bent billard I bought over a year ago. It is my aromatic pipe. It always smokes wet and I realized after examining the bowl, the bottom of the bowl was lower than the draft hole. After careful mudding (and what a fine job for my first time I might add), the damn pipe still smoke HOT and wet. It gurgles like crazy and burns my hands. I have done everything from smoking slow to drying out the baccy to a crisp. Nothing helps.
> Do some pipes just always do this no matter what? Is there a way to correct this after everything I have tried?
> 
> Thanks,
> -Anthony


Some pipes are duds; sometimes despite any obvious reason why they should be. Now, you did say you were smoking aromatics in this pipe. They're natrually going to smoke hotter and wetter than non-aros. But if you're drying them out to the point of crispiness then that shouldn't matter much.

Bent pipes are more prone to gurgling than straights, so that probably doesn't help. Regardless, all you can do for the moisture is run a few pipe cleaners through while you're smoking. But if the pipe smokes hot no matter what you do then there's no help for that.

Oddly, pipes that smoke badly for one person will smoke great for another. Perhaps someone here will have a "problem pipe" of their own that they'd be willing to trade. If not, you can always try to sell it on ebay.


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## TommyTree (Jan 7, 2012)

Have you dried the pipe? Briar does absorb moisture and needs time to dry. I'd recommend drying the pipe for a week and then smoking a nice, dry non-aromatic. If it still does it, you might have a dud. If it doesn't, then maybe it just can't be your aromatic pipe.


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## CaptainEnormous (Sep 30, 2010)

An addition to what's been said so far: A low draft-hole doesn't mean a poor smoking pipe. Just the opposite, really. As a pipemaker, the "perfect" drill is when the bottom of the draft hole meets the bottom of the bowl, dead center. 
If you think about it, this kind of makes sense--no liquid should be trickling through the tobacco. The best you can do is give the smoker access to the whole bowl. And make pipes of top-quality briar.

All that said, I've bought my share of "wet smoking" pipes. Some drilled really well, some not. In a myriad of price ranges.
I smoking qualities have to do with the briar (which is part luck, part cost), and (especially) the mechanics of the pipe itself.


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## GuitarDan (Nov 26, 2009)

Forgive me if this is too obvious, but do you have any pipes that aren't cobs or filters that your aromatic smokes cool and dry in? I like my aromatics best in a Kirsten, a cob, or a filter pipe (in that order).


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## WWhermit (Nov 30, 2008)

You said you smoke aromatics out of it. They traditionally smoke more wet, and thus more hot than non-aromatics. I would suggest the following as a test:

Take a non-aromatic tobacco and try a bowl in there. See if it does the same. It very well could be the tobacco that you smoke in there is causing the moisture and heat. Also, I've found that bent pipes tend to collect moisture more than straight pipes. This pipe could be trying to tell you to smoke non-aromatics out of it. Pipes do speak to you. You knew that, didn't ya?

WWhermit
ipe:


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## aermotor (Jan 14, 2012)

Good info for when I get my first smokes going.


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## AnthonySzum (Nov 26, 2010)

Thanks for all the replies guys. I have already done what you guys suggested and it still smokes wet and hot. I want to throw it against the wall. It was my first pipe and has given me problems ever since. I hate spending money on things that are ruined because of the manufacture and not me.

Sorry for bitching
Thanks again


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## TommyTree (Jan 7, 2012)

You could always send it to Ronnie B at Night Owl and see what he can do for it. I've heard of him doing wonders with pipes before.


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## freestoke (Feb 13, 2011)

Try smoking half bowls for a while. If you can build up a little char around the heel, it might help the moisture problem. It might also fully dry out the bottom which may have become a bit "soaked" from previous wet smokes. Might want to use PA for the purpose, since it burns very nicely. Building up more char in the chamber after that might cool the whole operation down for you eventually. Narrowing the chamber makes for a slightly smaller ember and a little less heat content per unit time.


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## AnthonySzum (Nov 26, 2010)

freestoke said:


> Try smoking half bowls for a while. If you can build up a little char around the heel, it might help the moisture problem. It might also fully dry out the bottom which may have become a bit "soaked" from previous wet smokes. Might want to use PA for the purpose, since it burns very nicely. Building up more char in the chamber after that might cool the whole operation down for you eventually. Narrowing the chamber makes for a slightly smaller ember and a little less heat content per unit time.


Yeah I have been smoking half bowls since I mudded the bottom. I guess I will keep at it. I have nothing to lose, except for a pipe...


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## freestoke (Feb 13, 2011)

Might want to give Ronni a go after all. Here's a little bio she(?) wrote. (I have it in the back of my head that Ronni is a lady, but I don't know. :dunno Has some stuff in there about opening up the draw...

RONNI BIKACSAN ON PIPE REPAIR


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## Fordun (Apr 30, 2011)

AnthonySzum said:


> I have a savinelli oscar bent billard I bought over a year ago. It is my aromatic pipe. It always smokes wet and I realized after examining the bowl, the bottom of the bowl was lower than the draft hole. After careful mudding (and what a fine job for my first time I might add), the damn pipe still smoke HOT and wet. It gurgles like crazy and burns my hands. I have done everything from smoking slow to drying out the baccy to a crisp. Nothing helps.
> Do some pipes just always do this no matter what? Is there a way to correct this after everything I have tried?
> 
> Thanks,
> -Anthony


A properly drilled pipe that has been made out of properly dried and cured briar will ALWAYS smoke just fine you just have to find the write blend for it....
Take it this way my smallest pipe is a awesome pipe i love the style of it its very 50s style and it has great draw...The only problem with it was whatever i smoked in it made it smoke hot...Until i went around and picked up a pouch of carter hall and loaded it full and went at it...Well that was the coolest i ever got the pipe to smoke...so i have labeled that pipe my Carter Hall pipe and as for my first pipe it smokes amazing with anything from Captain Black and my lastest blend Half & Half so i dedicate this pipe to my meal pipe because it gives a nice medium length smoke and with Half & Half it makes a great Desert pipe.
Now my biggest pipe i still can't find a pipe that smokes good other then Blenders Gold Golden Burley so i have that pipe as my Breakfast pipe because it always give a good,long,tasty smoke of a nice Burley Blend which great with some Black Tea.

My point is that no well-made pipe will smoke bad you just need the right blend.


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## TommyTree (Jan 7, 2012)

freestoke said:


> Might want to give Ronni a go after all. Here's a little bio she(?) wrote. (I have it in the back of my head that Ronni is a lady, but I don't know. :dunno Has some stuff in there about opening up the draw...
> 
> RONNI BIKACSAN ON PIPE REPAIR


Ronni (I always seem to add an "e" because it just feels right) is a crotchety old man with all the characteristics of a classic curmudgeon. Some guys love that about him, some hate it, but he does good work.


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## freestoke (Feb 13, 2011)

TommyTree said:


> Ronni (I always seem to add an "e" because it just feels right) is a crotchety old man with all the characteristics of a classic curmudgeon. Some guys love that about him, some hate it, but he does good work.


:rofl:


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